The Secretaries have taken control and subdued the two other orders making up the Kindom's rule, with a surprising person taking a leading role. First Cloak Seti Moonback is at large and plotting revenge. And the mysterious "avatar" threatens and sabotages the budding Jeveni colony, having even Sunstep helpless.
A lot of intrigue, gory violence, torture, deceit and treason happens.
(2/n)
The Jeveni storyline's themes are interesting and well executed: how to go on after "liberation"? How to deal with dissenters, how to build a police force? How to reconcile? How to reintegrate the traumatized? How to deal with collaborators? Good questions, to which the book doesn't offer many answers except having good, honest leadership.
The Treble storyline, for all its action, falls a bit flat.
(3/n)
The big twists aren't as shocking, the violence feels over the top at times, and I'm not buying the lapses in security at key points (I'm also not buying Sunstep suddenly being not that brilliant anymore). I'd expected the Secretaries brought down with weaponized economics, which doesn't happen.
It's still an engaging (if gory) read. I'm curious what Jacobs does in the third book! I do hope she'll tone the grim violence down to give us a bit of hope.
(4/n, n=4)
So, "On Vicious Worlds" by Bethany Jacobs, sequel to "These Burning Stars". It picks up right where the latter ended, but I'm keeping it non-spoilery for "These Burning Stars".
The Jeveni have jumped to the dubious safety of their own world, and the Treble is in chaos.Chono casts her point of view and, being the beloved cleric she is, becomes a bit of a hero who's difficult to control as she returns to broker a deal for the remaining Jeveni.
(1/n)
It feels very reckless for Chono and Six to talk so openly, for Six to let their disguise slip so much, in "private". We know this society can do surveillance; even if you have scrambling tech, changes in body language will be noted if seen by someone.
Reckless, or more likely the author didn't think it through.
Yeah, I know "brilliant hacker finds their master" is what happens in book 2, same es "rebels go establishment". It's the circle of life.
But I don't like seeing it happen, especially to a woman.
Well, at least there's Chono, still on the "establishment to rebel" path.
I hate interrogation scenes. I hate their mind games both on a moral level (messing with someone this way is evil) and a personal one (they confuse me and hurt my brain, which can't process false belief things very well).
Game theory. It's neat on an abstract level but I also hate it.
“The Kindom is powerful because it has wealth. It’s powerful because it controls the law. The Secretaries—they have always been the most powerful of the Hands. Economics and law. The vicious arts. That is how the Kindom tortures us. What better revenge than to torture them in the same way?” “With economics and the law?” “Yes. Take their money. Take their wealth. Turn the law against them.”
"Her eyes shift toward a casting view to her right, tracking in real time the dissemination of the data flood they released as soon as they entered orbit. Two hours ago it reached the mining station that circles the nearby gas planet, Locali. After that it was not long before it got as far as Ma’kess, and then Quietus, hitting farming stations and other outposts along the way."
Watching data like the lit beacons of Minas Tirith. Nice.
New book: "On Vicious Worlds" by Bethany Jacobs, sequel to "These Burning Stars".
The Jeveni have found a planet to settle on, the power struggle in the Kingdom is ongoing, Chono has things to do, and Six is still around, too.
What happens after you take revenge in a spectacular way? We'll find out in this one.
Jules